Hebrew

Reflection on the Other: The Jew and Arab in Literature and Film

Subject Code: 
COMPLIT
Course Number: 
145
Crosslisted as: 
JEWISHST 106
Crosslisted as: 
AMELANG 126
Description: 

How literary works mostly outside the realm of western culture struggle with questions such as identity, minority, and the issue of the other.  How the Arab is viewed in Hebrew literature, film and  music and how the Jew is viewed in Palestinian works in Hebrew and English, or  works written in Arabic but viewed from the perspective of Hebrew/Israeli writers and scholars. Historical, political, and sociological forces that have contributed to the shaping of the writer's views. Guest lectures about the Jews in Palestinian literature/music in Arabic.

Instructor: 
Vered Karti Shemtov
Term: 
Win
Academic Year: 
2012-13
Day/Time: 
MW 1:15p-3:05p

Marina Zilbergerts Bitzan

portrait: Marina Zilbergerts Bitzan
Contact: 

marinazb@stanford.edu

Focal Group(s): 
Philosophy and Literature

Marina began her graduate studies in Comparative Literature at
Stanford in September 2011.  She is interested in figurations of exile,
practices and theories of translation, and the intertextual
connections between modern Jewish literature and the Bible, Talmud,
and Midrash. She works on texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, and Russian. In her free time, she teaches Talmud and indulges
longstanding passions for metaphysics, quantum mechanics, and vegetarian cookery.

Education: 

2011: M.A., Jewish Literature, Graduate Theological Union

Thesis: "Visions of Paradox: Redifining the Human in Modern Hebrew Literature on the Living Dead"

2009: B.A., Biology and Philosphy, Yeshiva University

Language(s): 
Hebrew
Language(s): 
Russian
Language(s): 
Yiddish

Seth R. Kimmel

portrait: Justin Calles
Office Hours: 
Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 and by appointment
Focal Group(s): 
Renaissances

Seth Kimmel studies the literatures and cultures of medieval and early modern Iberia. He earned his B.A. in Comparative Literature and Religion from Columbia University and his Ph.D. from the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He joined Stanford’s Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship of Scholars in the Humanities in 2010.

His current book project, Erasing the Difference: The End of Islamic Iberia and the Transformation of the Disciplines, argues that early modern debates about the narratives, rituals, and languages shared among Old Christians and religious minorities in the Hispanic World reshaped the fields of theology and philology. The book, which examines inquisitorial guidebooks, scholastic commentaries, philological treatises, humanist correspondence, and both forged and canonical holy text, complicates conventional genealogies of tolerance, textual historicism, and religious reform.

Seth works with texts written in Spanish, French, Arabic, Latin, and Hebrew, and his other research interests include theories of secularism and religion, manuscript and early print culture, the history of cartography, and colonial narrative.

Education: 

Ph.D., UC Berkeley, Comparative Literature, 2010
B.A., Columbia University, Comparative Literature and Religion, 2001

Language(s): 
French
Language(s): 
Hebrew
Language(s): 
Spanish

Vered Karti Shemtov

portrait: Vered Shemtov
Contact: 
vshemtov@stanford.edu
Building 240, Room 206
Stanford Univerity, CA 94305

Vered Karti Shemtov is the Eva Chernov Lokey senior lecturer in the department of Comparative Literature and the Middle Eastern Program at Stanford University. She is the Coordinator of the Hebrew Language, Literature and Culture project.  She served as the Co-Director of the Stanford Center for Jewish Studies until 2011.   Some of Shemtov's recent publications include: Changing Rhythms: Towards a Theory of Prosody in Cultural Context, Bar Ilan Press, Israel 2012,  “Hebrew Poetry: 1781-2010”  Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, Revised edition, July 2012, “Discontinuous Spaces in A. B Yehoshua’s Novel The Liberated Bride,” Intersecting Sights, Heksherim and BGU Press, 2010 and a co-edited volume (with Charlotte Fonrobert) on Jewish Conceptions and Practices of Space, JSS 2005. 

Education: 

                  Ph.D. Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley.

                  B.A. Comparative Literature (Magna Cum Laude), Tel Aviv University, Israel.

CERTIFICATION

                  American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Tester of Hebrew with Full Certification 

AWARDS AND GRANTS

                  University of California, Berkeley Chancellor’s Award and Fellowship, 1999

                  Koret Foundation grant for developing teaching material and classes 2003-2009

                  Newhouse grant for curriculum development 2003-2011

                  Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching, Stanford 2006

SCHOLARSHIP

Book

Changing Rhythms:  Towards a Prosodic Theory in Literary Context

Bar Ilan University Press, November 2012 (http://www.biupress.co.il/website_en/index.asp?category=31&id=830)

Book in Progress

Poetic Homes: Text and Place in Hebrew Literature

Edited Volume with Introduction

History and Responsibility: Hebrew Literature and 1948, Special issue ofJewish Social Studies (Co-editor with Amir Eshel and Hannan Hever, Spring 2013)

Jewish Conceptions and Practices of Space, Special issue ofJewish Social Studies (Co-editor. With Charlotte Fonrobert, Summer, 2005)              

3. Book Chapters and Articles

“Dan Pagis: Poetic lines without a Home” in Collected Essays on the work of Dan Pagis, Ed: Hannan Hever,  Bialik Insittuion, TBP, Tel Aviv 2013

“Hebrew Poetry: 1781-1920” Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, Revised edition, 2012

“Hebrew Literature 1920 to the present” Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, Revised edition, 2012

"Dwelling in the Stanzas of the Text: The Concept of 'Bayt' in Hebrew Poetry." Sh'ma, 2012

 "Technology and Language Teaching in Higher Education: Some thoughts about the State of the Field" in Hebrew, Gadish 2012 (http://cms.education.gov.il/EducationCMS/Units/AdultEducation/PirsumeiAgaf/Gadish/gadish_13.htm)

 “Discontinuous Spaces in A. B Yehoshua’s Novel The Liberated Bride” Intersecting Sights: Critical Essays on A.B. Yehoshua's Work, forthcoming, Heksherim and BGU Press, 2010

“Intertextuality with the Bible and the Construction of Space in Contemporary Israeli Literature” (came out in Italy last month I am waiting for the book and the complete reference)

"Technology and Language Teaching in Higher Education: Some thoughts about the State of the Field" inA. Feuer, S. Armon-Lotem & B. Cooperman (Eds. Issues in the Acquisition and Teaching of Hebrew. Bethesda: University Press of Maryland, 2009

“The Bible in Contemporary Israeli Literature: Text and Place in Zeruya Shalev's Husband and Wife and Michal Govrin's Snapshots" Hebrew Studies, 2006

“Between a Jewish and an Israeli Perspective of Space: A Reading in Yehuda Amichai’s “Jewish Travel” and “Israeli Travel.” JSS, Summer 2005

 “Attraversando I Confini: Dallo Spazio Letterario Alle Frontiere Geografico-Politiche Nei Romanzi la Sposa Liberata” Opera Letteraria di Yehoshua. Einaudi, Venice 2008               

Victoria, Sami Michael: Epilogue, with Yigal Schwartz. Special Edition in honor of the Sami Michael Conference, Stanford University, 2007.  to be translated and published in French this year.

Prosody as Content, Ideology as Form. (PhD thesis) Committee: Professor Chana Kronfeld, Professor Robert Alter and Professor Daniel Boyarin. Berkeley, 1999               

"Metrical Hybridization: Prosodic ambiguities as a form of social dialogues" Poetics Today, Spring 2001

5. Selected Talks

 “Dwelling in the text: The Concept of Bayit in Contemporary Hebrew Literature”, University Collage London, Invited talk, Fall 2012

 “Prayers, Songs, and Lyrical Subjectivity in the Works of Yehuda Amichai,” Jewish Theological Seminary, NY.  Fall 2011, Invited Talk

 “From the Rivers of Babylon to the Shores of Tel Aviv: Psalm 137 in Hebrew Literature” Bible by the Bay,  2010. Invited talk.

"From Communal Prayers to Homeland Songs: The Politics of Sound in Yehuda Amichai's Poetry" Invited talk, Yale (Amichai Conference 2007 and revised version, NAPH, London 2009                

"Space and Ideology in Contemporary Israeli Novels" INALCO, Centre d'études hébraïques, Paris, Spring 2008

"Literary Enclaves: Space and Ideology in Novels by Amos Oz and AB Yehohusa" Invited Talk, UC Berkeley, Spring, 2007

"From Using Technology to Support L2 Teaching to Functioning Online," SWLLT, 2007
“Intertextuality with the Bible and the Construction of Space in Contemporary Israeli Literature: Zruya Shalev’s Husband and Wife and Michal Govrin’s HevzekimInvited talk Naples, Italy , 2006

“Designing Web Based Assignments which promote Proficiency” Invited guest speaker, NMELRC Seminar for Hebrew Language Educators (USC, In collaboration with UCLA-Language Resource Center, Summer 2006

“The Location of Voice: Prosody and Literary Geography” Invited talk Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2003

“The Same Sea as a Polyphonic Novel.” Invited talk, University of Pennsylvania, 2004

“Locality, Trans-locality and Language in Ronit Matalon's The One Facing Us, A.B. Yehoshua's The Liberated Bride and Orly Castel Bloom's ‘Ummi Fi Shurl’" NAPH, Stanford, Summer, 2005

“Using technology for Teaching Heritage learners of Hebrew” Invited guest speaker, NMELRC Seminar for Hebrew Language Educators (USC, In collaboration with UCLA-Language Resource Center) 2005

“Literature on the Edge: Literary Space and Geographical Borders in Novels by A.B. Yehoshua” Conference on the works of A. B. Yehoshua, Ca' Foscari University Venice, Italy, 2005

”Using Technology for Teaching Hebrew Language and Literature.” Northeast Conference for Teaching Foreign Languages, Spring 2005.

“Literature on the Edge: Literary Space and Geographical borders in Novels by A.B. Yehoshua” Ca' Foscari University Venice, Italy, 2005

“Locality, Trans-locality and Language in Ronit Matalon, A.B. Yehoshua and Orly Castel Bloom.”  NAPH, Stanford, (Summer 2005               

“Space and ideology in the Poetry of Yehuda Amichai” NAPH, 2004               

“Technology at the Edge: How much Technology is too much?” NAPH, 2004.

“Using Technology for Teaching Language through Film” Digital Stream conference, Monterey, 2003.

“ New Learning Opportunities.”Invited guest speaker in The USC Center for Scholarly Technology,  2003 Speaker Series on Teaching, Learning, and Technology.                  

Comparative Web-Based Projects.” Invited guest speaker, the Annual South Asia Conference at Madison, Wisconsin, 2003

“A Hands-On Approach to Using Media and Technology in Languages Courses.” NAPH, Israel 2002.

“Leah Goldberg and Prosodic Intertextuality.” NAPH, Los Angeles, Spring, 1997

“The Poor as ‘The Other Within’ in two of Ch. N. Bialik's Poems.” NAPH, Berkeley 1996

6. Selected List of Conferences (Organized and Chaired)

History and Responsibility: Hebrew Literature and 1948,  Co-Chair with Amir Eshel, and Hannan Hever, Stanford 2011

International Conference on the Reception of Hebrew Literature in Europe and the US ,  Co-Chair, Ca'Foscari University Venice, 2011

On the Cultural History of Tel Aviv, Co-Chair, Stanford  2009

Sami Michael and Jewish Iraqi Literature , Co-Chair, Stanford 2007

Hebrew Poetry in Cultural Context , Co-Chair,  Stanford University 2007
Jewish Culture and Modern Cities

2005 National Association of professors of Hebrew Language and Literature,  Conference on Hebrew Language and Literature, Chair

SERVICE

            Coordinator, Hebrew@Stanford

                  Core Executive Committee Member, Taube Center for Jewish Studies, Stanford

                  Board Member, National Association of Professors of Hebrew

                  Future Committee, National Association of Professors of Hebrew

                  Conference Board, National Association of Professors of Hebrew

                  Near Eastern Languages Resource Center, Hebrew Committee

                  Hillel at Stanford Israel Committee

                  Advisory Board, Venice Center for  interdisciplinary Jewish Studies

                  Past service

                  Co-Director, Taube Center for Jewish Studies  (6 years of service)

                  Chair, Test Committee, SAT Hebrew  (up to 8/2011)

                  Committee member, NAPH and DLI testing (listening comprehension)

                  Member of the Hillel Israel Committee

                  Board Member, Hillel at Stanford 2007-8

                  Board Member, Lively Arts, Stanford University

                  Hebrew Studies journal, Modern Hebrew, Review Editor 2006

                  Board Member, Taube Foundation

                  Academic consultant, Hebrew Language and Literature,  JTS, New York

Language(s): 
Hebrew

Gallia Porat

Office Hours: 
by appointment
Language(s): 
Hebrew

Estee Grief

Office Hours: 
by appointment
Language(s): 
Hebrew

Noam Pines

portrait:
Contact: 

noampi@stanford.edu

Focal Group(s): 
Workshop in Poetics

I work on modernist poetry in Hebrew, German, Yiddish, and English. My interests include: multivalency of poetic language, politics of national identity.

Conference Presentations:

"The Nomos and The Jewish Question", ACLA, New Orleans, April 1-4, 2010

"The Dromoscopic Aesthetics of Futurism",The Poetics of Pain: Aesthetics, Ideology and Representation, CUNY, February 25th-26th, 2010

Education: 

B.A  - History and Philosophy, Tel Aviv University
M.A. - Literature, Tel Aviv University, summa cum laude

Language(s): 
German
Language(s): 
Hebrew
Language(s): 
Yiddish

Nir Evron

portrait: Isaac Bleaman
Contact: 

nevron@stanford.edu

Focal Group(s): 
Philosophy and Literature

Dissertation:

The Novel and the Transience of Cultural Worlds

Advisors: Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Amir Eshel, Russell Berman

 

Publications:

"Realism, Irony and Morality in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence." The Journal of Modern Literature, 35.2 (Winter 2012) (forthcoming).

“’The Blossom which We Are’: The Figuration of Culture in Edith Wharton and Joseph Roth,” (under review).

 

Selected Teaching Experience:

“Israeli Politics and Poetics” (Fall 2008-9) Authors include: Oz, Yehoshua, Grossman, Keret, Kashua and others.

“Philosophy and Literature” (Winter 2007-8). Novelists and thinkers include, Plato, Shakespeare Schopenhauer, Proust, Nietzsche, Woolf, Nehamas, Hemingway, Booth, Borges and others.

“Scenarios of Dissolution in the Modern Novel” (Spring 2007-8). Novelists include Musil, Joseph Roth, Cotzee and others.

“The Novel” (Fall 2007). An undergraduate course tracing the development of the novel form, from Defoe to Woolf, and focusing on the interplay of thematic concerns and formal devices.

“Literature and History in the Israeli Novel” (Spring 2007): An undergraduate course focusing on the treatment of history and politics in a number of the central Israeli novels. Authors include Agnon, Yizhar, Kenaz, Grossman, Matalon, Anton Shamas and others.

Language(s): 
German
Language(s): 
Hebrew

Renana Keydar

portrait: Renana Keydar
Curriculum Vitae: 

Co-Instructor, Complit 199: Narrative and Ethics, 2013

Coordinator of the Research Group on Ethics and Literature 2011-2012; 2012-2013

Coordinator of the Hebrew Literature Reading Circle, 2011-2012; 2012-2013

Language(s): 
English
Language(s): 
French
Language(s): 
German
Language(s): 
Hebrew

Gabriella Safran

portrait:
Contact: 

Building 260, Room 109
Phone: 650 723 4414
gsafran@stanford.edu

Office Hours: 
Thursdays 10-12
Focal Group(s): 
Humanities Education
Focal Group(s): 
Performance
Curriculum Vitae: 

 

Gabriella Safran has written on Russian, Polish, Yiddish, and French literatures and cultures.  Her most recent book, Wandering Soul:  The Dybbuk's Creator, S. An-sky (Harvard, 2010), is a biography of an early-twentieth-century Russian-Yiddish writer who was also an ethnographer, a revolutionary, and a wartime relief worker. 

Safran teaches and writes on Russian literature, Yiddish literature, folklore, and folkloristics.  She is now working on two projects:  a monograph investigating nineteenth-century short Russian and Yiddish fiction in the context of the history of listening, and an article looking at the interaction of the Russian and Jewish rhetorical traditions among early-twentieth-century revolutionaries.  

As the chair of the DLCL, Safran is increasingly interested in the reorganization of humanities departments and the implications of that for teaching, learning, and scholarship.

Education: 

Ph.D., Slavic Languages and Literatures, Princeton University, 1998.
B.A., magna cum laude, with honors in Soviet and East European Studies, Yale University, 1990.

 

Language(s): 
Hebrew
Language(s): 
Russian
Language(s): 
Yiddish
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